LITERATURE AND ART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9160, 15 September 1888, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERATURE AND ART.

It is estimated in literary circles that it will take ten years to complete all the many posthumous publications of Victor Hugo. Mr. James C. Dibdin's long-promised work on "The Annals of the Edinburgh Stage, and the Rise and Progress of Dramatic Writing in Scotland," is just ready. Copies to subscribers will be issued shortly. The Marquis of Lome is about to appear as a poet. He has written a number of books, but has never published any of his poems. His publishers have just published a love idyll by him which is handsomely illustrated. Mr. W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") has, it is stated, written a book, to be called "Camp Fire Stories," will be published in America by subscription. It deals not only with his own frontier experiences, but also with those of Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, and other early pioneers. Messrs. Chapman and Hall will issue in a few days Mr. Edward Burgess' long-pro-mised work on " English and American Yachts." Full descriptions, including details of construction, will be given of the more famous yachts now sailing in English and American waters. The members of the Goetho Society now number nearly 3000. The third publication of the society, which is to appear in the autumn, is one of unusual interest to students of the many-sided Goethe. It will consist of a volume of descriptive text, with twenty-two drawings from the hand of Goethe. The Department of Greek and Roman antiquities at the British Museum has recently bought a highly interesting and beautiful statue of Diana, rather longer than life, and carved with great skill and care in that archaistic style which prevailed in the Empire from about 100 A.D. till the end of the reign of Marcus Aurelius, eighty years later. The Pall Mall Gazette learns, "on good authority/' that Canon Mac Call's recent visits to Hawarden are not without literary significance. "It is not impossible that the Canon will some day be called upon to edit the life and letters of Mr. Gladstone, and my informant tells me that Mr. Gladstone lias been going over some of his papers with his visitor. :, A translation from theßu.-sian, by Isabel F. Hapgood, of "At Home and in War— 1853-1881," by Alexander V. Verestchagin, is just ready. The author was General Skobeloffri adjutant, and is an intimate friend of many of the leading military men of Russia. The volume is illustrated by portraits of the author and a number of distinguished Russian officials.

Professor Edward Taylors' new Book, " Is Protection a Benefit ? A plea for the Negative," is written from the point of view that the present high tariff in America is an unqualified evil and an obstacle to the nation's prosperity. The treatise will include a brief account of the tariff legislation of the countries of Europe, as well as a sketch of the tariffs of the United States.— St. Jame's Gazette.

The whole of the first edition—and a good bi"- one, too—of Mr. T. Wemyss Reid's '' Life of Forster" was exhausted before the day of sale. Judging from the reviews, no one would imagine how fascinating, as a picture of a beautiful character, is the portrait drawn of Mr. Forster ; but of course the temptation to reviewers to stretch out their hands to grasp the political lever which, in the book itself, plays in reality but a subordinate part, was too strong to be resisted. No biography was ever a more complete labour of love than this. The interest in the sale of the Turner Library at Messrs. Sotheby's was kept up to the end of the thirteenth day, and the prices obtained tave an average over the 2999 lots of nearly £5, in some instances the price being the highest ever paid at auction, as for the " Hypnerotomachia," which sold for £137 (Collett), surpassing the Beckford copy, which broueht £130. The rare first edition of the curious romance of chivalry of Tewrdannckh, black letter, Niirnberg, 1517, brought £250 (F. Sabin), a price higher by £10 than ever before reached. The biography of Mr. Henry Ward Beecher extends to over 700 pages. The autobiographical part is in two sections. These are concerned with the momentous situations of his life; his English round of speeches in 1863, and the Tilton complication. His account of the latter covers

some twenty-five pages. It was written in 3574. In about the same number of pages Mr. Beecher's work as a preacher is discussed. His methods of preparation and his pulpit manner are described, and some attention is given to his theology. The volume also has some very interesting chapters on his early life. One of his traits was a passion for precious stones. He always carried a number about with him, and their colours were as soothing to him as strains of music. Messrs. Sampson and Co. are to publish an English edition Low of the work early in the autumn.